Tag Archives: Sugar Beach

Sherbourne Common north park nears completion

Sherbourne Common North park on Queen/s Quay Blvd East

April 21 2011:  One of the water fountain features in the new Sherbourne Common north park area, which is nearing completion on Lower Sherbourne Street

 

Sherbourne Common North park

April 21 2011: Looking east from Lower Sherbourne Street at the nearly-completed north park section of Sherbourne Common

 

Nearly finished: Construction of the north section of the new Sherbourne Common park is in its final stages, and the new recreational facility could be fully open to the public in only a few weeks’ time. Below are some photos I took of the park on Friday; there’s also a link to an online photo album containing dozens more photos of both the north and south sections of Sherbourne Common, as well as the nearby Canada’s Sugar Beach.

 

Sherbourne Common north park

April 21 2011: Lower Sherbourne Street view of the park

 

Sherbourne Common North park

April 21 2011: One of the whimsical installations in the park

 

Sherbourne Common North park

April 21 2011: Eastward view of the center section of Sherbourne Common North

 

Sherbourne Common North park

April 21 2011: Another installation at Sherbourne Common

 

Sherbourne Common North park

April 21 2011: View of Sherbourne Common park from Queen’s Quay Blvd

 

Sherbourne Common North park

April 21 2011: Construction crew working at Sherbourne Common North

 

Sherbourne Common North park

April 21 2011:  Crew working to finish Sherbourne Common North

 

Sherbourne Common North park

April 21 2011: The water fountains at Sherbourne Common North

 

Sherbourne Common North park

April 21 2011: One of the water fountains at Sherbourne Common North

 

Sherbourne Common North park

April 21 2011: One of the water fountains at Sherbourne Common North

 

Sherbourne Common south park

April 21 2011: A water channel on the south Sherbourne Common

 

New skating rink open at Sherbourne Common; construction of park’s north segment nearly done

Sherbourne Common

A solitary figure skater on the new rink at Sherbourne Common


Ice Time: Sherbourne Common was an eerily quiet and almost lonely place last when I dropped by last Thursday afternoon to check out the brand-new outdoor skating rink which had just opened to the public at the beginning of the week.  Besides me, there was only one other person in the entire place who wasn’t a City of Toronto parks and recreation department employee — and she had the entire rink all to herself (which, judging by her beaming face, she was quite enjoying).

It was around noon, and I had been certain I would arrive to find the rink packed with workers from the nearby Corus Quay office building getting in a quick skate during their lunch break. But the two of us were outnumbered by no fewer than seven civic employees who were busy shovelling snow and digging up the ground behind the shiny silver washroom and snack bar pavilion next to the ice oval.

It was a bitterly cold day, to be sure, but it was brilliantly sunny — an otherwise perfect day for outdoor enthusiasts to get some fresh air and savour the park’s panoramic views of the city skyline and the frosty Toronto Islands. And to take a peek at the early stages of development of downtown Toronto’s newest neighbourhood, East Bayfront, before the whole area gets built up with offices, condos and colleges.

Downtown Toronto’s newest public space, Sherbourne Common sits at the foot of Lower Sherbourne Street, between the Gardiner Expressway/Lake Shore Blvd. East and Lake Ontario. The Common is divided into two distinct park areas by Queen’s Quay, the broad boulevard that turns onto Parliament Street at its east end. Even at the height of summer when trees, plants and flowers are in full bloom, Queen’s Quay is one of the ugliest, bleakest streets in the city, if not the entire country. Thankfully, Sherbourne Common has come to its rescue, providing a pleasant stretch of green space to break up the dreary industrial gloom and greyness to the east.

The south section of the park — where the rink and pavilion are situated — officially opened last fall. The north section is still under construction, but work on playgrounds, water sculptures and a water channel is nearly finished. (The city anticipates the north Common will open as early as March or April.)

Even during the throes of a winter deepfreeze, when there’s nothing green in sight, Sherbourne Common and nearby Canada’s Sugar Beach were a treat to visit. I found both parks incredibly peaceful, even though the new waterfront campus of George Brown College is under construction right next door and more than a thousand people work at the Corus Entertainment building next door to that. I’m sure it will be a totally different story come summertime, when I’m sure the place will be crowded with Torontonians discovering a new waterfront place to hang out. And once the new George Brown College Health Sciences building opens for the fall 2012 semester, you can bet the days will be rare that there’s nobody to be seen at the parks and beach.

In the meantime, here are some photos of the near-empty parks and beach under a fluffy blanket of fresh snow. (For more information about Sherbourne Common, click on this link to a recent article by Toronto Star urban issues and architecture columnist Christopher Hume.)

 

Sherbourne Common

North Sherbourne Common viewed from Lower Sherbourne St. on February 3


Sherbourne Common

One of the water sculptures under construction at North Sherbourne Common


Sherbourne Common

North Sherbourne Common Park viewed from Queen’s Quay on February 3 2011


Sherbourne Common

Another view of the new skating rink in the south park


Sherbourne Common

Terrific city skyline views from the skating rink


Sherbourne Common

The washroom, changeroom and cafe pavilion next to the skating rink


Sherbourne Common

Another view of the rinkside pavilion


Sherbourne Common

Another view of the rinkside pavilion


Sherbourne Common

Shiny silver cladding on the pavilion


Sherbourne Common

Cafe space in the rinkside pavilion


Sherbourne Common

Cafe space in the new pavilion


Sherbourne Common

South side of the pavilion at Sherbourne Common


Sherbourne Common

Crews doing maintenance work next to the pavilion


Sherbourne Common

The lakeside promenade at Sherbourne Common, looking west


Sherbourne Common

The lakeside promenade, looking east from the Corus Quay building


Sugar Beach

Snowbound umbrellas and Muskoka chairs at Sugar Beach


Sugar Beach

Icicles dangle from one of the pink umbrellas at Sugar Beach


Sugar Beach

Corus Entertainment headquarters behind Sugar Beach


Sugar Beach

Bright pink umbrellas and white Muskoka chairs on Sugar Beach


Sugar Beach

Umbrellas cast a pinkish hue on the snow


Sugar Beach

Bootprints in the snow at Sugar Beach


On the waterfront: $175M health sciences building is first phase of new George Brown College campus

George Brown College waterfront

Rendering of the new George Brown College waterfront campus


Lakeside learning: George Brown College is giving the new Corus Quay office building some company on the waterfront.

Corus Quay, headquarters to the Corus Entertainment media company, opened last fall at 25 Dockside Drive near the foot of Jarvis Street — right beside the similarly brand-new urban park, Canada’s Sugar Beach. Along with the beach and nearby Sherbourne Common, which also opened last autumn, Corus Quay was the first project finished under Waterfront Toronto’s massive East Bayfront revitalization program. Since they moved into their new digs, the 1,100 Corus Quay employees have had the Muskoka chairs and custom park benches at Sugar Beach and Sherbourne Common mainly to themselves during weekdays. But that will soon change.

The second major Waterfront Toronto project is the George Brown College Health Sciences Centre campus, currently under construction between Corus Quay and Sherbourne Common. Scheduled to open for the 2012 fall semester, the 330,000-square-foot building will accommodate 3,500 students in the the schools of Dental Health, Health and Wellness, Nursing and Health Services Management.

Designed as a joint venture by Stantec Architecture and Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects,  the building will have eight floors including a three-storey glass podium and a rooftop terrace. Besides classrooms and office facilities for the health care faculties, the full-service campus will house a health care clinic, bookstore, administrative offices and food service operations.  The project cost is $175 million, of which $61.5 million is being paid by the Ontario government, and $30 million by the federal government.

That’s just phase one of the campus development; the facility will grow further in its second phase, for which the College is still seeking to raise funds from individual and corporate “partners.” And in several years’ time, the College plans to add a third campus in the vicinity. Once all the college faculty and students start joining the Corus employees on the waterfront in 2012, the East Bayfront lakeside promenade and boardwalk should be buzzing with activity all year long. 

Those lucky kids won’t even have to cut classes to hit the beach — they’ll be able to catch some rays or walk along the lake during lunch breaks or between labs and lectures.  Below is a college webcam photo of construction progress at the campus site, along with some of my photos of building activity between last August and this past Thursday.

 

George Brown College waterfront

College webcam view of new campus construction on Feb. 5 2011


George Brown College waterfront campus

George Brown College sign on Queen’s Quay August 29 2010


George Brown College waterfront campus

Construction site viewed on August 29 2010


George Brown College waterfront campus

Waterfront campus excavation and foundation work Aug. 29 2010


George Brown College waterfront campus

Waterfront campus excavation and foundation work Aug. 29 2010


George Brown College waterfront campus

Nov. 2 2010 CN Tower view of two cranes on the construction site immediately to the east of the new Corus Quay office building.


George Brown College waterfront campus

Construction viewed from walkway at Corus Quay on November 9 2010


George Brown College waterfront campus

Site viewed from walkway at Sherbourne Common on November 9 2010


George Brown College waterfront campus

Site viewed from walkway near Sherbourne Common on November 9 2010


George Brown College waterfront campus

Two cranes perched high above the campus construction site


George Brown College waterfront campus

One of the construction crane operators working at the campus site


George Brown College waterfront campus

Underground levels taking shape on February 3


George Brown College Waterfront Campus

Underground levels taking shape on February 3


George Brown College waterfront campus

Underground levels taking shape on February 3


George Brown College waterfront campus

Underground levels taking shape February 3


George Brown College waterfront campus

Underground levels taking shape February 3


George Brown College waterfront campus

Underground levels taking shape on February 3


George Brown College waterfront campus

Underground levels taking shape February 3


George Brown College waterfront campus

Construction on February 3, viewed from the promenade along Lake Ontario. By this time next year, an 8-storey building will occupy this site.

 

Sick of snow and cold? Weary of winter weather? Just imagine warm sun and sand at Sugar Beach

Beachgoers enjoy warm sand and hot sun at Sugar Beach last August


Can’t get to the Caribbean? Stuck in the snow and cold and hoping you don’t catch the flu nasty that’s knocking people off their feet in Toronto? Unfortunately, it’s only the middle of January, and we’ve still got a lot more wicked winter weather ahead of us. But if you can’t escape to the south to soak up some hot sun on a beach holiday this season, you can always do the next best thing: Pretend you’re there.

To help you imagine that you’re enjoying warm sun and sand beside a wide expanse of appealing blue water, here’s some photos of the new beach and lakeside promenade that opened next to the Corus Entertainment building at the foot of Jarvis Street last summer.

Admittedly, Sugar Beach isn’t lush and exotic like Hawaii or St. Lucia, but it definitely looks a helluva lot more enticing than the snow and ice I see on the city streets right now.

Enjoy your beach break daydream and remember: only four more months to go before you can kick back and relax for real on Sugar Beach!